An arrogant rich man receives the shock of his life when a homeless woman he turned away the previous day shows up in his office.
“Get out of here you filthy peasant!” Will Morgan shouted harshly.
The 50-year-old was talking to the servant dishing his lunch. The man had mistakenly spilled the expensive wine he was pouring, and it had triggered Will’s volatile temperament.
“I’m very sorry sir,” the servant mumbled as he beat a hasty retreat.
Everyone knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of his wrath, and why not? Will was a rich businessman with lots of properties and investments.
He was also an arrogant and selfish man who was hated by many. Even within his own company, his employees didn’t like him because of his rude manners and sometimes extreme reactions.
Once, he threw a mug of iced tea at an employee, causing him to bleed. Other workers wanted to tell the police about that, but Will didn’t care, and they knew that.
He had good connections, and he knew that he could solve any problem with money. It was a fact the rude man loved to boast about.
One day, Will, who lived alone, was having dinner when he heard the doorbell ringing. It was 7 P.M., and he had already dismissed his maid, so he had to answer the door himself.
He did not like the interruption, and he promised to give the person a piece of his mind.
“You should learn to visit people at appropriate hours!” he exclaimed as he opened the door.
Standing on his porch was a poor young woman who could not have been older than 25-28. She was dressed in rags and looked very disheveled.
“Hello, my name is Linda,” she said. “I’m your daughter.”
There was a short pause after the proclamation followed by a long peal of laughter from Will, who was very careful to avoid risky situations that could lead to childbirth.
“I’m sorry,” he said when he got himself under control. “But I find that hard to believe.”
“I am,” she repeated stubbornly. “Almost 30 years ago, you had a six-month-long business trip to Texas where you met my mother, whom you dated for five months before vanishing.”
She also told him her mother got pregnant with her but died during childbirth, so she was taken to the orphanage where she was raised with love and care.
“This can’t be,” Will said, a mock grin still playing on his face.
“I had no idea you existed until one month ago when I met my mother’s childhood friend and she told me about my natural father which is why I came looking for you.”
Now Linda had found him and was standing in front of him, but all he did was continue to laugh. When he stopped, he returned into his home to retrieve an old sandwich from the fridge then threw it on the ground, saying, “Take it. That’s enough for you,” then shut the door on her face.
The following day, Will’s secretary, Pug Johnson, called him to let him know that the representatives of taxation authorities were at their office.
“What? They did not give any heads up about a raid,” he said.
“There is something weird about them sir. The old people who used to come have been replaced and these ones don’t seem to be messing around,” Pug said uneasily.
“Okay just get the envelope I left on my table to their leader and watch the magic of money happen,” Will said confidently, used to solving matters that way.
It was the last he heard from Pug, so he assumed everything was fine. However, when he got to his office, his secretary revealed that he had done everything in accordance with his guidance, but the officer insisted that she wanted to communicate with Will personally.
“Who is this person and what does he or she want with me?!” Will asked himself.
When the officer entered his office, he was shocked. The same woman he had encountered the previous night was standing with the envelope in her hands. She had cleaned up and looked very good. Before he could say anything else, the woman spoke.
“Mr. Morgan, during the examination, our officers found 27 violations. Your company will be shut down during the investigation period. We have notified the police regarding your attempt at bribery.”
At that, Will had no words. He was stunned by what was happening and found himself grappling for something to say. Then he motioned to plead his case.
“Oh my lovely daughter,” he cried out. “No! I’ve made a mistake! I love you so much! Let’s live together, I am so happy that you came! Please, forgive me for what I have done yesterday! I just was in a bad mood and you know I can’t just believe every Dick and Harry who claims to be my child.”
“Coming to your house had been part of the plan. I wanted to know what you really thought of being a father,” the woman replied coldly.
If he knew that she was a successful civil servant, she was afraid he would accept her because of the benefits he might receive. “But you showed me who you are! And now you will pay for my mother’s life as well as for my ruined life!” she added.
Will could not believe it, but it was happening. He had met the one person he could not buy, and as she left his office, she opened the envelope and slipped out a $100 note that landed on the floor in front of him.
“Oh, daddy,” she said with a smile. “I forgot to repeat yesterday’s phrase. Take it. That’s enough for you”.
What did we gain from this story?
Money can’t buy everything. Will was used to bribing his way through everything until he met the one person who did not have a price, and she taught him that money could not buy everything.
Be nice to strangers. Will was very rude to his daughter when she went to reveal herself to him as a homeless lady. He had no idea she had a plan, one she may not have executed had he welcomed her with open arms.
